Rev. Rachel Pacheco

The Rev. Rachel Pacheco comes to us from Church of the Pilgrims in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.  Rachel served there for the past six years as Program Manager, and then Director of The Pilgrimage, an urban poverty seminar center and hostel.  The Pilgrimage helped youth, college students, and people of all ages to practice their faith through volunteering, learning, hearing stories, and reflecting on God’s love for every person.  

Rachel first considered pastoral ministry as a Presbyterian Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) in Tucson, AZ.  She served for two years, first at the Community Food Bank through programs building food security, and then with the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at the University of Arizona.  In Tucson, Rachel saw people of faith give up time, comfort, and resources to prevent people from dying in the Sonoran Desert, which showed her a different way to live faithfully.

Rachel grew up in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia and attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA as an undergraduate.  She moved to DC to attend Wesley Theological Seminary where she explored ecumenism and public theology. She plays flute, piano, and djembe, and enjoys experimenting with color and different art forms.